


Tightrope

by ashtraythief



Series: Underneath 'verse [6]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternative Universe - FBI, Extortion, M/M, Rough Sex, partly outsider POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 04:23:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8042488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashtraythief/pseuds/ashtraythief
Summary: Chad pays a visit to his FBI informant. Jared is pissed but Jensen’s there to take the edge of. Sort of.





	Tightrope

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I said I’d do Jensen’s vacation next, but some people were asking about the mole and I remembered that I’d written something about that so I thought I just have to clean it up and can post something while I figure out the vacation story, but then somehow Jared poked his head in there and wanted to give me a little of his POV, which means Jensen was in there too and 1,6k later, it wasn’t only about the mole anymore. *coughs* Anyway, this is set somewhere after Matters of Trust and before Rock Bottom and I hope you guys will enjoy a little snippet of their life and learning a bit more about the mole in the FBI. I’m still working on the vacation fic, that will just take a little more time.
> 
> Betad by the wonderful ilikaicalie and theatregirl7299. All remainig mistakes are clingy bastards.
> 
> ETA: Edited as of 17/12/2017. Even more thanks to ilikaicalie, who had to read this a second time.

Title: Tightrope

Pairing: Jared/Jensen

Rating: R

Words: 4,100

 

Summary: Chad pays a visit to his FBI informant. Jared is pissed but Jensen’s there to take the edge of. Sort of.

Warnings/Kinks: partly outsider POV, extortion

Notes: Timestamp for the Underneath verse in which Jared is a mob boss and Jensen is the undercover FBI agent trying to take him down. Set about four months after What Matters

 

So I know I said I’d do Jensen’s vacation next, but some people were asking about the mole and I remembered that I’d written about about that so I thought I just have to clean it up and can post something while I figure out the vacation story, but then somehow Jared poked his head in there and wanted to give me a little of his POV, which means Jensen was in there too and 1,6k later, it wasn’t only about the mole anymore. *coughs* Anyway, this is set somewhere after Matters of Trust and before Rock Bottom and I hope you guys will enjoy a little snippet of their life and learning a bit more about the mole in the FBI. I’m still working on the vacation fic, that will just take a little more time.

  
  
  
  


When Linda got home, it was already dark. Nora was sitting in front of the TV, watching a cooking show.

 

“Hey. Thanks for staying so long.”

 

Nora shrugged and turned off the TV. “No problem. Dylan was really tired from the field trip in school today, so he fell asleep pretty quickly.”

 

Linda handed Nora her cash, said goodnight, then took her spot on the couch. If the job wouldn’t kill her, the paperwork would.

 

“You look like you need a drink,” a familiar male voice said to her left.

 

She refused to startle. She hadn’t gotten used to him showing up unannounced in the dark hours of the night, but she didn’t reach for her gun anymore when she heard him.

 

“Lucky for you, I mixed something up while your sitter was watching Chopped,” Chad said and rounded the couch, handing her a drink.

 

A screwdriver. Her favorite. Of course.

 

“She’s cute, you know,” Chad remarked when he sat down on the couch next to her. He was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket and his smile was open and friendly. He looked like a nice guy. Linda knew it wasn’t true.

 

“Nora is too young for you. Why are you here?”

 

She took a sip from her drink. Whatever he wanted, she’d need the alcohol. If he showed up at her house, it must be dire. Or he wanted to make a point.

 

“Well,” Chad said and relaxed back into the couch, slinging one arm over the backrest, “a little birdie told me that you and your partner had a closed door meeting with Morgan three days ago. Only Rhodes, you and him.”

 

She closed her eyes and took another drink. Shit. 

 

“Now, that made me think what he had to tell you was kinda important. I’ve been anxiously waiting for your call.” He turned to her and leaned forwards, elbows resting on his knees. His glare was ice cold. “So, why didn’t you call me, darling?”

 

“It’s a setup,” Linda said and cursed whatever low level agent was on Padalecki’s payroll. “Morgan’s been suspecting someone on the Task Force is giving you information for a while now. We weren’t the only ones who got a meeting. I saw him talking with the guys from Chicago PD and with Steen and Wester from Vice. Of course, I’m sure he told us all the same thing—that he doesn’t suspect us. I have to assume he suspects Rhodes and me as much as anyone at this point.” She dragged a hand through her hair and emptied her drink. “If I tell you and you react, he’ll know it was either of us, and you know that out of the two of us, Rhodes has the better record. Which will lead them straight to me.”

 

She looked at Chad imploringly. She wasn’t hoping for compassion, but reasoning. As far as she knew she was the only task force member talking to them and she hoped she was too valuable for Chad to push now.

 

Chad tsked and sat up again. “How about you let us decide what to do with that information.”

 

She swallowed. “I can’t. Padalecki will have to act and word will get back to Morgan. Look, just let it blow over and when no one talks he’ll let it go.”

 

Chad stood up and stretched. His leather jacket rolled up, revealing the gun stuck into the waistband of his pants.

 

It was stupid to try to intimidate her. She wasn’t scared of him.

 

Chad shook his head sadly, then turned towards her open kitchen and walked to the fridge. He opened it, took out a bottle of beer and closed it again. He kept looking at the fridge, at a picture that Dylan had painted last week in school. It showed four little kids running around on a field, chasing a soccer ball. At least that’s what he told her it was, she hadn’t been entirely able to decipher his drawing.

 

“Do I really have to remind you what’s at stake here?” Chad asked, tapping his finger against the painting.

 

She squared her back. “If I tell you and Morgan finds out, I’ll go to jail and Dylan will go into the foster system.”

 

Chad raised his eyebrows. “Which is preferable to him being dead? Sure, the foster system sucks, but it doesn’t kill you. I don’t think.”

 

She stood, trying to suppress her rage. “If you kill him, you have nothing on me. I’ll tell them everything I know and it will be enough to send you all to jail.”

 

Chad gave her a pitying smile. “But your little boy will still be dead. So, tell me.”

 

She clenched her hands into fists. She believed him. Padalecki’s crew never made idle threats. “If Morgan figures it out…”

 

“We’ll get you out of the country,” Chad said. “There’s always work for an ex fed in the security sector.”

 

“If you’re too late—”

 

“Then we’ll see to it your boy gets adopted by a nice couple who’ll be able to give him what he needs and that no one kills you in prison,” Chad said with a hard voice. “We take care of our own. Now tell me.”

 

She dropped back down on the couch. She cursed the day she had talked to him the first time. It was almost two years ago now, right after she’d buried her husband and was despairing over the medical bills. She hadn’t been on the task force back then. She’d just been another agent. But somehow they knew about her financial problems. Knew about Dylan’s condition, about her being a single mom with no family to rely on for help. 

 

She wasn’t the only agent in the Chicago office with money troubles, but she wouldn’t have sold out for the just the money, no matter how high the bills piled up. But then Chad had offered her something she couldn’t say no to. A spot for Dylan in the best school for special needs children in the city. She was on the waiting list for the waiting list even though she had no idea how she’d ever be able to pay for it with her salary. But when Chad promised all would be taken care of, she couldn’t deny her son the chance to get the best care there was. She’d never thought she’d be in the position to give them valuable information anyway, so she’d said yes. That evening, after she’d brought Dylan to bed, she’d cried for the first time since her husband died. A week later, she learned her new partner was Kim Rhodes, rising star in the Chicago office, and she knew they hadn’t picked her just because of Dylan. Her son had just been the point they could apply more pressure to, and she’d hated them even more. 

 

She closed her eyes. “Morgan says he got intel from one of your guys. Says the guy is prepared to roll for a spot in witsec.”

 

“And who is that?” Chad asked, voice hard.

 

“Gil McKinney,” she said and hoped she hadn’t just sentenced a man to die. “My partner and I are supposed to keep a closer eye on him.”

 

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Chad ask.

 

She opened her eyes. Chad was looking at her with a mocking smile.

 

“If Morgan finds out,” she started, but Chad leaned forward and pressed his index finger to her mouth. 

 

“In case you haven’t noticed, we can be stealthy.” He grinned, then he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks, darling.”

 

She kept sitting on the couch until the door fell close behind him. Then she pulled up her legs and pressed her head to her knees. No one saw when her tears fell. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chad was leaning against the kitchen counter, blearily looking into his cup of coffee, when Jared came back from his early morning run with the dogs.

 

Jared grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, while the dogs bounded up the stairs, probably in search of some head scratches from Jensen who was still in bed at this hour. If Jared didn’t have a meeting at his office, he’d follow his dogs right upstairs. 

 

Instead he turned to Chad. “So. Why’re you here and not at the office?”

 

Chad looked up from his coffee. “Had a talk last night with my special lady friend.”

 

“Is that so?” Jared wasn’t worried. Chad had a good handle on his informants, he knew when to push and he knew when to give them a breather. He knew how to pick them too. They’d always known they would need someone high up in the FBI, and the most promising candidate, Special Agent Rhodes, was incorruptible. So Chad had instigated the next best thing: giving her a vulnerable partner who wouldn’t be able to say no to their offer. 

 

Chad nodded. “Since she didn’t call me for three days, I thought it was a good idea to do some catching up.” Chad patted the back of his pants where he kept his gun. “If you know what I mean.”

 

Chad’s innuendos were the worst but he did his part of the business reliably and without prompting. Jared couldn’t wish for someone better at his side.

 

“What did she say?”

 

With a snort, Chad put his empty coffee cup in the sink. “She didn’t think I could keep a secret. Didn’t think I could be sneaky.”

 

Jared grinned. “Well, most people only know your flashy side.”

 

Most people either misjudged or just plain underestimated Chad. They liked to keep it that way.

 

“But she did tell you eventually?”

 

“Of course.” Chad gave him an indignant look. “Gave me a name and everything. Apparently someone wants to move.”

 

Jared’s hand clenched around the water bottle, crunching the thin plastic. “Who?”

 

“McKinney,” Chad said. 

 

Jared raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected that name.

 

“He runs Beth’s chop shop,” Chad explained, a rare moment of him misinterpreting Jared’s expression.

 

“I know who he is,” Jared said impatiently. He liked to keep a close eye on things. Chad should know that. “I just didn’t figure him for a snitch.”

 

Chad nodded. “Neither do I. I think they’re trying to bait us. See if we make a move. McKinney is a good guy, an honest guy.”

 

“But we have to be sure.” With more force than necessary, Jared threw the crushed bottle in the trash. He hated when the feds forced his hand.

 

Chad nodded again. “And apparently at least two other teams had closed door meetings too. Now, I’d actually give it to Morgan to only give out fake snitches, but if there’s even one real snitch in there…”

 

Jared balled his hands to fist, fighting the urge to smash something. He wasn’t a kid anymore, he was in control, not his anger.

 

“Do what you need to do and do it without the feds noticing. I don’t want to go looking for a new high level source.”

 

Chad nodded, already on the retreat. He knew not to stick around when Jared got angry. “I’m on it. I’ll have Aldis check out their credit cards and phone records, see if we can shake something loose that way.”

 

For a moment, Jared thought about going to the basement, lifting some weights to fight this feeling of being cornered that was threatening to turn his anger into the only thing he could see. Then he remembered where his dogs had gone and made for the stairs.

 

“Push back my meetings, I’ll be late,” he said to Chad who was already half out the door.

 

“I’m not your fucking secretary,” Chad yelled while the door shut behind him but Jared knew he’d do it. Even if he didn’t, right now Jared didn’t give a fuck.

 

When he reached his bedroom, Jensen was sitting propped up against the headboard, hair mussed from sleep, shabby paperback in one hand, his other buried in Sadie’s fur while Harley was sleeping over his legs.

 

Jared whistled sharply, immediately getting his dogs’ attention. “Out,” he commanded in the voice that brokered no argument and pointed towards the door.

 

Reluctantly, Harley and Sadie made their way to the door. Jared petted their heads when they passed him to take the sting out the order.

 

Jensen put his paperback down on the bedside table. He was a smart guy.

 

With two steps, Jared was at the bed and pulled the blanket down. Jensen was wearing boxers, so he must’ve gotten up at some point and when Jared crawled on top of him, he smelled fresh mint on Jensen’s breath.

 

“Bad morning?” Jensen asked, reaching up to drag a hand through Jared’s sweat-damp hair, fingernails pleasantly scratching along his scalp. 

 

“Fucking feds,” was all Jared said before he leaned in to bite at Jensen’s neck.

 

“They’re the worst,” Jensen agreed, slinging a leg over Jared’s hip and pulling him down.

 

Irritated, Jared pulled back and flipped Jensen around on his back. Jensen made some kind of displeased sound but Jared knew he didn’t mean it. Jensen loved getting fucked, no matter which way. 

 

And if Jared needed to hold him down by his neck, control the rhythm of the movement while Jensen was helplessly writhing in the sheets, well Jensen loved that too.

  
  
  


After, when they were both sweaty, Jensen’s hand found his way into Jared’s hair again.

 

“You wanna talk about it?” he asked, voice scratchy rough from all the screams Jared had fucked out of him.

 

Usually Jared didn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jensen, not anymore, but Jensen was his safe haven. The eye of the storm where Jared didn’t need to fear intrigue and fighting at every corner. Except Jared was still pissed, still furious at Assistant Director Morgan for still hounding him. If he didn’t stop being a pain in his ass, Jared would have to do something about that fucking fed.

 

“We might have a snitch,” Jared gritted out.

 

Jensen made a disgusted sound. “How do you know?”

 

“The feds might have one of my people talking to them.”

 

“Might?” Jensen asked. 

 

Jared shrugged. “The info comes from the feds. Could just be bait to smoke out our source in the bureau.”

 

“Hmmm.” Jensen’s hand stopped moving for a moment, then it resumed dragging lazy patterns up and down the back of Jared’s head. “So if you wanna check, you have to be careful or you lose your source.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well,” Jensen rolled himself to the side, grinning down at Jared. “I’m pretty good with being careful. If you want me to check something out, let me know.”

 

A year ago, Jared wouldn’t even have considered Jensen’s proposal. Now, he did.

 

“Let’s see what Aldis digs up first,” he decided. “Not that I don’t trust your abilities, but hacking is always better than something physical. You don’t need to get involved if I can’t figure it out another way.”

 

Jared knew that Jensen was on the feds’ radar, some white collar guy from New York had been sniffing around, forcing him to get a source in the New York office so he could protect Jensen. It wouldn’t help getting Jensen involved with Jared’s business as well.

 

“Alright. But if you don't need my help, I’m gonna go looking for another job. It’s been too long.”

 

“The feds are watching you,” Jared warned.

 

Jensen laughed. “Aww, are you worried about me? Cute, Jared.”

 

Jared growled and pushed himself up on his elbow, looking Jensen straight in the eye. He hated that Jensen could be so blase about the feds. “I mean it. You’re not infallible.”

 

It was the wrong thing to say. Jensen’s eyes narrowed and he pulled himself away from Jared and got out of the bed. “I can look out for myself. I was doing it a long time before I met you.”

 

“Tell that to Heyerdahl.” Jared knew it was a low blow but he needed Jensen to take this seriously. Jared had never liked Jensen going off on all his crazy heists and he sure as hell wouldn’t like Jensen going to jail. And recently, it seemed Jensen was taking greater risks, almost like he was taunting the FBI.

 

Jensen whirled around and his eyes were shooting daggers at Jared. “You know, an old friend called me up, asked me to team up for a job. I said no because it would take over a week and I didn't want to be gone for so long, but now I think it sounds just perfect.”

 

Shit. Jared should have known how Jensen would react. With a sigh he got out of bed and followed Jensen into the bathroom. Jensen might have a temper, throw spectacular hissy fits and could even hold a grudge long enough to spend a night on the couch, but leaving for longer than a week just to punish Jared was intolerable. Jared indulged most of Jensen’s moods, let Jensen get away with more than his controlling side was comfortable with, but enough was enough.

 

Jensen was already in the shower and slammed the door closed with force. Jared just ripped it open again. With his back to Jared, Jensen was ignoring him, instead fiddling with the dials and then reaching for the shampoo. Jared took the soap and started running his hands over Jensen’s freckled back.

 

He kneaded the tense muscles and waited until Jensen, the complete and utter hedonist he was, had relaxed into his touch.

 

“I worry,” he said quietly, as close to an apology as he’d ever go. He knew that and Jensen did too.

 

For a moment, Jensen tensed, then he leaned back into Jared. “I appreciate that. What I don’t appreciate is being belittled and condescended to.”

 

“I don’t,” Jared said. “I know what you can do.”

 

Jensen let out a harsh sound, the mockery of a laugh. “No, you don’t.”

 

Jared rolled his eyes. Jensen had no idea how much Jared knew about his abilities, how much attention Jared’s people paid to what was going on in the world of thieves. After the Heyerdahl situation, Jared had sworn to himself he’d never see Jensen in danger again. Jared and Chad had contacts everywhere, they knew about every single one of Jensen’s jobs, about every risk he took, every narrow miss, every impossible getaway. Jared knew what pissed him off the most was that he had no control over it. Jensen’s job and the outcome of his work was one of the few things outside of Jared’s influence. He hated it. But it was the price he had to pay for having Jensen.

 

Jared watched the water running down Jensen’s face, his long eyelashes catching the drops. He was still leaning against Jared, lean muscles and broad shoulders half tensed against Jared’s chest. Jensen was always like that, poised and ready to flee at a moment’s notice. 

 

Jared knew how Jensen sorted his drawers, one corner reserved for a change of clothes, a wad of cash and a small Glock 26 rolled up in a sock. He knew that it was costing Jensen to settle, to stay. That was Jensen’s compromise. 

 

All things considered, it was a miracle they were still together.

 

“Just because I don’t bother with the details doesn’t mean I don’t know you’re the best at what you do.” Jared reached for Jensen’s hips and spun him around. He kissed Jensen’s wet mouth, getting lost in the feeling of him.

 

“I don’t want you to go,” he said and his voice was rougher than he intended.

 

Jensen yielded, like he always did. And as always, this was the thrill of victory, that this proud and strong man was bowing to Jared’s every whim out of his free will, without being forced, without being coerced. That he stayed. Jared won against Jensen’s stubbornness every time because Jensen wanted him that much. The rush of that knowledge never dimmed.

 

“Fine,” Jensen grumbled finally and pushed his hips against Jared’s. “But you’re making it up to me.”

 

“Oh sweetheart, will I ever.” And then Jared pushed Jensen back against the tiles with a smirk and went to his knees in front of him.

 

Jensen closed his eyes with a beatific smile and buried a hand in Jared’s wet hair.

 

Jared was forgiven.

  
  
  
  
  


It didn’t take Aldis long to go through every digital breadcrumb in McKinney’s life. 

 

“There’s no way he’s talking to the feds,” he told Jared over drinks in a jazz bar Gen had suggested Jared should buy.

 

Cash businesses were always a good place to clean money and the place was sophisticated enough to fit the public impression Jared cultivated.

 

“What if it’s all just personal contact, no phone?” Jared asked.

 

Aldis shook his head. “After one of her guys tried to deal behind her back last year, I low-jacked all of Beth’s cars for her. All the places he went, I hacked the security cams. I tell you man, McKinney is straight. Beth said so too.”

 

It was what Jared and Chad had expected.

 

“Well, if Beth said so,” Chad said with a smirk.

 

Aldis shot Chad a dirty look and Jared smiled. Aldis’ crush on Beth was a long point of ribbing for Chad. Now that Jared was actually dating a capricious thief himself, he could relate.

 

“You making any headway there?” he asked.

 

“Man, I don’t know.” Aldis rubbed a hand over his short hair. “We actually went out for food a few weeks ago and I thought, hey, this is going well, but now I don’t even know if she knew it was a date.”

 

“Have you tried actually talking to her?” Chad asked.

 

Both Jared and Aldis turned to stare at him. 

 

“Who are you and what have you done with,” Aldis raised his hands for air quotes, “‘The Chadinator’?”

 

Jared laughed at the nickname Chad had given himself when he’d started hooking up with the college girls Jared and Aldis had introduced him to back in Stanford.

 

Chad made a face and reached for his drink. “I evolved, okay? Talking builds trust and more trust means better sex. Just saying.”

 

Aldis still stared.

 

“Jensen’s a good influence,” Jared explained and ducked the peanut Chad threw at him.

 

“Fuck you,” Chad said good-naturedly. “You’re just jealous your boyfriend spends so much time with me.”

 

“Speaking of boyfriend,” Aldis threw in, “how’s that going?”

 

“Good.” Jared signaled the waitress for a new round of drinks. “Mostly, anyway,” he amended, before he asked Aldis about what had been on his mind since the fight with Jensen. “You’re keeping an eye on New York?”

 

Aldis nodded. “I hacked into Agent DeKay’s phone and computer. Everything he knows I know. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have any solid evidence on Jensen.”

 

“Good. And speaking of hacking,” Jared said and leaned forward. “We have to make sure Morgan isn’t just bluffing. I want you to check every guy working for Beth and when you’re done with that I want you to go through all our associates. Anyone who’s only the slightest liability, money troubles, health troubles, vulnerable relatives, I want to know.”

 

Aldis made a face. “Dude, that’s gonna take forever.”

 

“Bring someone in then. But I want it done this week.”

 

Aldis rolled his eyes. “Not cool, man, I had plans this weekend.”

 

Jared raised his eyebrows. “Killing orcs? How about I get you something better?”

 

“Oh, and what’s that?”

 

“I’m gonna have dinner next week with Beth, our bi-annual see how it’s going talk. Usually I bring Chad, but how about I take you this time?”

 

Aldis’ eyes lit up. “Deal.”

 

“Awesome,” Chad said and stood up. “Then I have one more free evening to spend with the lovely Kara.”

 

“Kara?” Jared asked.

 

Chad pointed at the waitress and smiled. “I’m so in,” he said and made his way to the bar.

 

“I hate it when he screws the staff,” Jared said. 

 

Aldis laughed heartlessly. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can come find me on tumblr [here](http://ashtray-thief.tumblr.com/). My ask box is always open.


End file.
